For some of us there is a real and tangible fear. Sweat appears on the forehead, a shortness of breath and dryness of throat becomes evident. You might even begin to shake or feel nauseous. Many UK Prime Ministers have expressed real fear and trepidation before taking to the despatch box in the House of Commons. Jim Callaghan, a Labour PM from the late 1970s said he felt this was good for democracy and should be embraced. However, whilst you might not find yourself on a such a grand and global stage it might be an idea if you have to make a speech, or it will be a part of our job to present, attending some of Public speaking course London has to offer via collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/.
A lectern is a place to keep the notes from which you are reading. They aren’t as common to see as they once were, autocue has replaced them to a degree, and some in the past have been incredibly ornate and decorative. This was done to give a certain gravitas to what the speaker was saying. In recent times they are generally there to promote a slogan that the speaker and the party they represent want you to really remember.
From a psychological point of view the use of the lectern suggests that the speaker wants to place a barrier between themselves and the audience. This distance is meant to convey that the person speaking has authority and power rather than it just being a place to store some notes.